The lack of enthusiasm for the Coronation

[MamoruHisaishi]

I know this is shallow but I think part of the reason why people aren't enthusiastic about Charles’ coronation is that neither he nor Camilla have movie star good looks plus they're both in their 70s. I bet if both were in their 30s or even 40s, and Charles looked like Pierce Brosnan and Camilla looked like Angelina Jolie, they would have the world fawning over them and their Coronation.

@vera99

Totally agree. They had worked hard at liaising with the Police, they were having their protest away from the procession, just appalling. We are not North Korea FFS.

This from Polly Toynbee
Unbelievable!! Graham Smith head of Republic has been arrested for unloading placards by Trafalgar Square. He and 6 volunteers are in the police station. This is new anti-protest laws in action

It's very scary.

Never let the truth get in the way of some good pearl clutching, but ….

The edited Liturgy for the Coronation service was released on 29 April. It contained a section which said:

“All who so desire, in the Abbey and elsewhere, say together:

I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God”

The wording I underlined above - “All who so desire” - is taken directly from the document and is quite clearly an invitation, not a request.

The first press stories about it came out on the 29th. They repeated the wording that this was an invitation not a request - even the Guardian!

The next day however Republic recast it as a request/command and said it was tone deaf, and the press started to repeat that line. And lo - a controversy was created out of nothing.

Isn't it just. A peaceful protest could've been managed successfully and to be honest I think it's an own goal. Because it will make people extremely cross and push them towards Anti monarchy.

Fucking furious now couldn't even have a few bloody dissident educated voices to make their point peacefully and with dignity. Whilst Andrew still remains at large, and we will no doubt see his filthy visage soon. Loyalty pledge my arse.

https://twitter.com/skymartinbrunt/status/1654747176449212416

No bad thing IMO, though obviously unpleasant for the Republic people.
As I think I said yesterday it's worthwhile to see in plain sight exactly what the institution expects to get away with, except that - worryingly - extreme monarchists will probably support this

To be clear, nobody's suggesting protesters should shout, scream and generally disrupt the day, but then that's not what they've been doing so far

A sad day for free speech, but instructive nonetheless

They will be released without charge later on the day and the cops will just shrug with a wry smile. Rain do your worst. I need to calm down before I break something.

@vera99 are they protestors being arrested? Is there any details on this? I find that shocking if they’re just arresting people or not allowing them to protest.

I feel it's like an ambush to be honest.
It was a designated area agreed with the Police in advance where they would protest.

It appears the Police were waiting for them there to arrest them. For nothing.

Yes. They arrested them as they were unloading their placards from a van.

To be clear, nobody's suggesting protesters should shout, scream and generally disrupt the day, but then that's not what they've been doing so far

That is what they have been doing so far though!

(I think the arrests are heavy handed and counter productive too, by the way, but think it’s silly to try and claim Republic haven’t been loudly shouting and deliberately using highly visible placards at events in the last 6 weeks or so).

Thanks @Roussette I just noticed that Twitter account is a reporter. This is really really wrong. People should be allowed to protest with or without placards in a free country.

Yes Roussette - I've been following their twitter it was likely to be a small number of folk after all. Which monarchists could have pointed at and mocked for its paltry state whilst celebrating our free country. But no plod had to put jackboots on and act like Russia. These guys were not Class War.

@Serenster and that’s what they’re fucking entitled to do!!!! We live in a democracy - why should the toadying sycophantic cretins who want to support this wanker and his awful family get it all their own way.

I’m so fucking angry I’m shaking. This is your king - he is responsible for this. He’s a wanker - hope you all enjoy the celebrations 🤬

Yellow placards, instead of red, white and blue paraphernalia. What's wrong with that? They have never disrupted anything, they have just provided an alternative view of the Monarchy, shouting 'Not My King'.

They are peaceful but we should be allowed to shout, surely. They are hardly glueing themselves to the gold carriage are they?

I do wonder what this country is becoming, I really do

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/06/head-of-uks-leading-anti-monarchy-group-arrested-at-coronation-protest?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Same here close to tears actually.

The wording I underlined above - “All who so desire” - is taken directly from the document and is quite clearly an invitation, not a request

I don't imagine there's anyone with a brain who doesn't already know this, Serenster, but for many the point was never that it was a request ... it's the fact it was thought appropriate in the first place

It's true the media have (predictably) made a big thing of it, but for once I honestly think they've got a point. Admittedly as a republican I would say that, but then if they hadn't realised it was a serious miss-step there'd have been no need for the distasteful Operation Blame Welby

Right, so people definitely are suggesting that protesters should shout, scream and generally disrupt the day, PuzzledandPissedOff …🤣

I’m outraged at these arrests. Are we in North Korea?

BBC: Around half a dozen protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic have been arrested.
They were unloading a van of placards, just north of Trafalgar Square.
Matt Turnbull, one of those arrested, said the straps holding the placards had been “misconstrued” as something that could be used for locking on.
New legislation passed this week made it illegal to prepare to lock-on to things like street furniture.

And Graham Smith is a very reasonable man. He has been interviewed many many times on all news channels. He puts his case succinctly and carefully.

And now he is arrested. For nothing.

It really is appalling. I am going to tweet all this endlessly. I have a lot of followers, I want people to know.

Right, so people definitely are suggesting that protesters should shout, scream and generally disrupt the day

Isn’t that what those lining the streets in support of this spectacle are doing? Why is it ok for them but not people who don’t support this?

They would not be disrupting the day. They were given by the Police a designated area away from any chance of disruption of the day.

This is appalling.

My partner said yesterday he is trying to be enthusiastic but isn't over the Queen dying. I feel similar. It's just weird.